There is a lot of debate of what we consider modern web design. Is it a specific year or is a modern website something that follows a specific design convention that is current. What is certain, is that modern design aligns more with minimalism, and removes any bells and whistles that we got during the web 2.0 era. Here is a basic breakdown from Rack Alley on how to design with modern principles in mind:

Colors

One of the two most obvious traits of modern web design are the colors. New websites tend to follow strong colors and limit the palette to a few colors. The basic premise is a single-color scheme with one or two accent colors. The Apple website is a very good example of modern color usage.

White-space

Good use of white space is the other hallmark of modern web design. The space doesn’t need to be white per-se, but there should be plenty of it and used in a way that adds balance and space to the design. White space is something you know when it is done correctly.

User-centric design

Thanks to Google, there is a lot of focus on the user in terms of design and functionality. Gone are the days when you design a website for ranking, and hope that it works for your visitors. Using machine learning and AI, Google now has a good sense of whether a site matches its vision for a user-friendly site.

Whether you use LA colocation or basic web host, follow these basic principles to ensure that your site feels and look modern.

Do you ever open Facebook or Instagram to check a few posts and end up scrolling for way too long? Facebook outlined some new features coming to Facebook and Instagram that will help prevent just that. In a meeting, Facebook showed up off dashboards coming to the two social media apps that will let you keep track of how much time you have actually spent using the apps each day.

If the dashboard is not enough, there are a couple of other new features that could help you keep your social media usage under control. If you are the type of person to lose track of time when you are going through posts or photos, you will also have the option to set a time limit for yourself. After you have used the app for that specified amount of time an alert will pop up to let you know. Additionally, if you constantly feel bombarded with notifications throughout the day, you will be able to mute them for several hours.

How will this affect Facebook’s short-term growth?

By making it easier for Facebook and Instagram users to stay aware of their usage on the two widely popular apps, Facebook could be putting their growth in jeopardy. If people are using Facebook less often, for example, the marketing companies that pay Facebook to advertise on the service will have less data to work with.

Financially, Facebook has already been having a rough few months. By helping people spend less time on their apps, Facebook might lose both money and users when the new features are rolled out to everyone.

How will this affect Facebook’s long-term growth?

There is no denying that social media addiction is a growing concern. A lot of people are starting to realize just how easy it is to spend hours a day checking posts and interacting on social media platforms. Mark Zuckerberg has expressed a desire to shift towards focusing more on the quality of the interactions on Facebook’s services, rather than total time spent per user. These new Facebook and Instagram features could help people make their social media usage more meaningful, and if it does, users may start to view the two apps in a more positive light.

Outsourcing your marketing program can be a good decision as it can help you amplify your marketing campaign efforts. Here are five reasons to outsource your marketing program.

Access to a professional marketing team – If you are a small marketing team of one or two, handling a large campaign can result in a campaign that does not reach its goals. By outsourcing a specialist, you will be able to focus on your business’s strengths and get assistance when needed.

Decreased marketing overhead – Finding good marketing personnel when you need them can take some time. Therefore, if you have a campaign or project that needs to begin now, it may be a good idea to outsource your marketing program.

Build marketing infrastructure – A good outsourcing marketing firm will have programs, processes, and functions which can be used later on by your team. Other technical details like coding websites, writing and optimizing, polishing ad copy, can be handled by experts who are trained to get the best results.

Save time – If you don’t have a marketing team and need to begin a campaign, outsourcing is a sensible option and one that will reap the most benefits.

An overworked internal team – Daily marketing projects can keep your internal marketing team busy with little to no time or energy to work on new projects. Outsourced marketing teams will focus on your additional project and give it their all to make it a success.

There’s no doubt that building wealth is one of the most important things that everyone must learn from an early age. No matter how dogmatic your approach to the subject of money is, sooner or later, you will have to accept that it does play a large role in helping us to lead a happy and fulfilling life.

Here is a list of tips that can help you build wealth, no matter which age you are at:

#1: Put a hold on marriage

Perhaps one of the most important financial decisions that you will make in your life is when you decide to get married. Putting it off for a few more years until you become financially independent, free yourself of debt and make suitable investments will go a long way of avoiding the frustration that stems from not being able to make ends meet in a marriage while you adjust to each other.

#2: Avoid Debt like the plague

If you’ve ever been in debt, you’ll understand that it will give you sleepless nights as you remain enslaved to your creditor until you can pay off every last dollar. If you can acquire whatever you would like without owing a single penny to anyone, you’ll understand what financial freedom truly is.

#3: Pick a profession you love, and the rewards will follow

There’s nothing more tragic than being in a profession that you hate when you have to wake in the morning and tend to your responsibilities. Perhaps it would be harsh to say that you only have yourself to blame if you followed the advice of your parents or grandparents in finding a dead-end job. However, the truth is that if you do work in a profession that you are passionate about, you will never work for a single day of your life. And you can be sure that the rewards will follow!

As a small business owner, you will have to learn the basics of funding, bookkeeping, and building relationships with lenders and investors. Here are practical do’s and dont’s that will help small business finance themselves.

Focus on the meaning and not money – Speak to your investors about your company and what you are passionate about. It is important that your product or service fulfills an important need, that is unique.

Your team defines your business – Investors like to invest in people that they feel can build a business. Gather a team of people who have experience in your industry and can bring different viewpoints to the table.

Choose investors that care – Your investor is going to be an ambassador of your business and they are going to represent you. Therefore, your investor should share your values and motivation to grow your business.

Use technology to reduce high startup costs – Today businesses can start up with a minimal budget, due to many online services, marketing and management tools available. Try your best to automate your business using social media and use services like Freshbooks, Paypal and Stripe.

Stay Hands-On with your Finances – Spend time understanding your business’s finances and pay close attention to numbers. It is important that you monitor financial reports and cash flows regularly.

Budget every dollar – Use budgets and realistic sales projections to plan and run your business. Make sure budgeting is included in hiring, travel and all expenses incurred for running the business.

Office rent is one of the most expensive expenses a company will have to make, and therefore smaller businesses with tight budgets should be careful when leasing office space. Here are three common mistakes made by smaller businesses when leasing office space.

Impulse decisions – Since small business owners will be spending most of their time at their business location, making a decision on office space is one that should not be taken It is best to leave emotion at the door and take your time when selecting your office space. Remember to have a list of what you require for your space and then tick off what is available at each site.

Solely relying on listings – It is best to look at listing as your chance to gauge the market. You should visit a few of the locations and understand what is on offer before signing and confirming your space.

Flying solo – You should use a good tenant broker if you are signing a lease for a space greater than 2000 square feet. This is mainly because there are many aspects to consider like space options, lease clauses, and other variables that need to be looked into before signing an agreement. Look at hiring a good tenant broker who will represent you. He/she will be able to highlight any areas of concern in the agreement and also will be able to negotiate a better deal.

Partnerships have many benefits that include complementary skill sets, shared equipment or expenses, and the opportunity to work with someone who has capital and another with the intellectual capital. However, partnerships will not work for every business venture as they involve handling messy partnership issues, different egos and the stresses of running a business.

However, if you are considering a partnership, here are a few areas to consider.

Sharing capital instead of expenses – If you intend to share your capital, you should be aware of the possibility that your partner may not use your resources be it money, information or expertise in the way you had planned. Therefore, work to create an arrangement that expenses are shared so that in the event the partnership does not work, you will be able to move away with less hassle.

Partnering with someone because you can’t afford to hire – This is not a good idea as both parties may work against each other as they find that they are not a good partnership match in regards to egos, attitudes and work ethics. Therefore, look at hiring the skill or work on an independent contractor agreement.

No written, signed partnership agreement – A clearly detailed partnership agreement will outline the role of each partner. Look at writing a legal agreement with a mutually agreed upon lawyer.

Overlooking a limited partnership – If one partner is only investing their capital, you can draw up a limited liability partnership, which does not leave both parties liable for the actions of the other.

One of the best things about the internet and the web is that it levels the playing field for all business large and small. Larger businesses have more resources, so they can take better advantage of the reach and exposure the internet offers. However, even a small business can take advantage of online marketing, they just need to be smart about where they put their limited resources. Here are the best ways a small business can use the web:

Facebook page

There is a good argument that you don’t need a website anymore. All you need is a Facebook page. A Facebook page allows your business to have a presence online without the costly need for hosting and website design. Also, you get a direct channel with your customers for customer service and general promotion.

Storefront

A business that deals with the sale of physical goods should set up storefronts in the most popular services like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, etc. There are also services like Shopify that simplify the process of setting up an online store and accepting various payment methods. You can also link the storefront to sites like Instagram if your products carry a visual edge.

Things to avoid

What you want to avoid is creating accounts at various social networks and not maintaining them. For example, everyone creates a Twitter account, but very few organizations actively use the service. If you don’t need it to interface with customers, don’t use it. Close dormant accounts or sign up only to reserve the names for future use.

If you’re looking at starting a new business or looking for a new job, selling yourself right is key to getting the job you have always wanted. Here are some simple tips to help you sell yourself effectively.

Identify your niche – List out your interest, talents, and passions to focus on what you can offer your business or employer. For example, if you are good at talking to people you could consider a career in sales.

Seek recognition for your expertise – To showcase your knowledge, get involved in communities and interact with leaders with similar interest. Not only will you learn new things, but you will also be able to offer your knowledge to others in the industry.

Build a community – Use Facebook and LinkedIn to create a community of like-minded people and share your knowledge with that group.

Be of service to others – Help others by mentoring younger professionals. Not only will the opportunity refresh your mind about concepts, but it will also help you stay in touch with the changes in your industry.

Remember who you are – Your message to the world should be clear and always professional. Avoid using language that may offend specific groups and remember to always offer your views diplomatically. It is important to note that the best person to market themselves is you, so ensure that you sell yourself in a way that matches your real personality and professional style.

If you are looking at building a high performing marketing team that is focused on growth and client acquisition, here are the five most important positions you need to fill.

The player-coach – Your marketing team will need a leader who is someone with high intellectual capacity, has an entrepreneurial spirit, and the ability to lead others. Although this position involves managing others, they will also have to learn to be hands-on and look carefully into all aspects of the business.

The Writer – Good quality content is vital to your marketing portfolio. Exceptional writers are required for blogs, social media, for PR, or advertising.

The website pro – You will need someone to design and develop your website. Managing your website in-house is an excellent way to stay current and make changes whenever required.

The analytics and operations pro – It is essential for any business to have a data-driven, operations-focused team member who can manage technology solutions and provide analytics that will help decision making. They will also be able to track your progress and help with forecasting sales and customer engagement as and when products, services or marketing tactics change.

If finding five professionals is difficult as your business is small, look at integrating the roles with individuals who have previous experience in similar positions.